The sub is a delicious sandwich for lunchtime eats or late night snacking. This deli counter staple has received many treatments over the years and each region seems to have a different name for it: submarine sandwich, hoagie, grinder, hero or wedge. But at the end of the day, it’s almost always a fresh deli roll filled to the brim with meats and piled high with toppings. Subs started in the Italian tradition, but many cultures have added their own spin to create some truly amazing sandwiches. In San Francisco, there are plenty of places to indulge a sub craving or pick up a new favorite sandwich.

Banh mi – Saigon Sandwich

The Banh mi is a traditional Vietnamese sandwich that offers the convenience of a long roll and adequate fillings to qualify as a sub style sandwich. This offering from Saigon Sandwich is a superb fresh sub that highlights three meats: roast pork, chicken and house made pate. It’s also filled with fresh vegetables and delicate herbs and served on a fluffy banh mi roll to make a substantial lunch on the go. And at Saigon’s legendary low prices (under four dollars a sandwich), diners can pick up one to share or take home for dinner.

Chicken Greco – b. on the go

b. on the go is the can’t miss spinoff from the popular b. patisserie, and the sandwiches served here are worth writing home about. The Chicken Greco is a sub not to miss, as it features rich rotisserie chicken prepared right in house. Serve in a thick sub bun and slathered with fresh yogurt herb sauce and tons of thickly sliced veggies, this sub just may become San Francisco’s newest lunchtime obsession.

Atomic Submarine – Submarine Center

For the quintessential sub sandwich experience, diners should head to the aptly named Submarine Center. While this sandwich mecca certainly offers its fair share of sub options, the Atomic Submarine is one that everyone should try at least once. This sandwich is piled with a combination of three meats: roast turkey breast, pastrami and corned beef) and then topped with even more goodness, including plenty of shredded lettuce, cheese and hot peppers. It’s brought together with a super secret sauce that’s the perfect balance to the other flavors inside.

Turkey Sub – Marina Submarine

The name may be humble, but this standout sub is anything but. Marina Submarine’s Turkey Sub is a sandwich that lives up to any turkey sub lover’s expectations. It’s stuffed with roasted turkey and piled high with veggies and condiments. For a truly California spin, diners can add artfully sliced avocado and dig in.